This application is based on and claims priority from Provisional Application Serial No. 60/306,717, filed Jul. 20, 2001.
This invention relates to a sleeper seat intended for passenger conveyances including, but not limited to, airplanes. Although the sleeper seat disclosed in the present application may be utilized in any type of aircraft, the sleeper seat is preferably intended to be utilized for carrying first class or business class passengers traveling on long-haul flights. The objective of the design is to achieve an ergonomic lie-flat sleeper seat that is electrically driven and is adaptable to many different seating arrangements.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a seat that may be moved between an upright position and a sleeping position.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that includes a rotating bolster interconnecting the seat pan and legrest portions of the seat for permitting the overall length of the seat pan to be increased as the legrest translates away from the seat back when the sleeper seat is moved from a fully-upright position to a fully-reclined position.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that includes an armrest assembly that articulates and changes height as the seat moves to provide the most comfortable arm position for the passenger.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that has an armrest that lowers to a position providing greater seat bottom width when the seat is in the sleeper position.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that is electrically driven.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that includes a privacy shell or xe2x80x9csurroundxe2x80x9d for providing privacy to the seat occupant in the reclined sleep position.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that is comfortable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat that is durable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeper seat which is lightweight and extensible.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a reclining passenger seat, comprising a seat frame for being attached to a supporting deck, a seat bottom carried by the seat frame, and a seat back carried by the seat frame and moveable with the seat bottom from and between the upright and sleep positions. A legrest assembly is mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger. An armrest assembly is carried by the seat frame and includes an armrest moveable between a horizontal position with an upper support surface supporting a forearm of the seat occupant in the upright seat position and a forwardly-inclined, lowered position wherein the upper support surface is aligned with an upper surface of the seat bottom for providing a wider sleeping surface for the seat occupant when the seat is in the fully-reclined sleep position.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the armrest includes an intermediate, rearwardly-inclined position for supporting the forearm of the seat occupant in the semi-reclined seat position.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the support surface of the armrest is parallel to an upper support surface of the seat bottom in the upright, intermediate, and sleeper positions.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivot is provided for mounting the armrest by an aft portion thereof to a fixed pivotable position on the seat back, and a linkage pivotally is attached by respective upper ends to a forward end of the armrest and by a lower end to an elongate slide rail mounted to the seat frame. The lower end of the linkage is attached by a linear slide to the slide rail for sliding movement along the slide rail during transition of the seat between the upright and sleep positions.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a bolster is positioned adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom and moveable between a retracted position when the seat is in the upright position, and a deployed position when the seat is in the semi-reclined seat position and in the sleep position for providing support to the back of the leg and knee of the seat occupant.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a stationary privacy shell is mounted aft of the seat frame for providing lateral privacy to the seat occupant when in the sleep position.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the privacy shell includes a footwell for accommodating feet of an aft-seated seat occupant.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the privacy shell includes a pivotally-mounted breakaway panel mounted on an aft-facing side of the privacy shell in a predefined head strike path for controlled forward movement about a pivot point in a crash situation wherein the head of an aft-seated seat occupant strikes the breakaway panel.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the privacy shell includes an ingress/egress step formed therein and for permitting one aft-seated seat occupant to step over the legs of an adjacent seat occupant when ingressing or egressing the seat.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the slide rail includes rack teeth thereon cooperating with a pinion gear driven by a drive actuator for movement of the seat back and seat bottom and the seat frame includes guide slots in opposing lateral sides thereof in which are mounted guide rollers carried by the seat bottom and the seat back for guiding translational movement of the seat bottom and seat back.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a reclining passenger seat is provided, comprising a seat frame for being attached to a supporting deck, a seat bottom carried by the seat frame, and a seat back carried by the seat frame and moveable with the seat bottom from and between the upright and sleep positions. A legrest assembly is mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger. An armrest assembly carried by the seat frame and includes an armrest moveable between a horizontal position with an upper support surface supporting a forearm of the seat occupant in the upright seat position. A forwardly-inclined, lowered position wherein the upper support surface is aligned with an upper surface of the seat bottom for providing a wider sleeping surface for the seat occupant when the seat is in the fully-reclined sleep position. An intermediate, rearwardly-inclined position is provided for supporting the forearm of the seat occupant in the semi-reclined seat position. The support surface of the armrest is parallel to an upper support surface of the seat bottom in the upright, intermediate, and sleeper positions.